Lhasa Gyantse Shigatse Group Tour

Taking a flight into Tibet will give you a panorama of the snowy Himalaya Mountains or 1-2 days of train riding over the high plateau by crossing Tanggula Mountains with beautiful sceneries along the way. Once you arrive, our local Tibetan tour guide and driver will greet you at Lhasa Airport/Railway with a traditional Tibetan white scarf to wish you good luck! And then transfer you to the hotel. The rest of the day you will be free to wander around the city on your own but try not to overtax yourself. The first day's well-rest is crucial to acclimatize the high altitude. Remember to drink lots of water, eat light, and not to have a shower if you can help it.

Stay overnight in Lhasa, 3★/4★

Our guide and driver will pick you up at the hotel in the early morning and then drive to visit the Drepung Monastery , which is located at the foot of the Gambo Utse Mountain, 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from the western suburb of Lhasa. Drepung Monastery is known as the most important monastery of Gelugpa in Tibetan Buddhism. It was founded in 1416 by Jamyang Choeje, who's one of the Tsongkhapa’s main disciples.

After lunch, you are going to visit the Sera Monastery, which is renowned as the most beautiful Tibetan Monastery. Sera Monastery is one of three famous monasteries in the city along with the Drepung Monastery and the Ganden Monastery. One of the main attractions of Sera Monastery is debating. As a part of their study, lamas must participate in debates to further their comprehension and proceed to more advanced levels of study. The debating usually is held at around 3 - 5 in the afternoon except for Sunday.

Stay overnight in Lhasa, 3★/4★

Today, you will visit the most famous Potala Palace, which is the cardinal landmark of Tibet and the masterpiece of Tibetan architecture. Potala Palace was the winter palace of successive Dalai lamas. It was built by the 33rd great king of Tibet - Songtsen Gangpo in the 7th Century. The most valuable collections of Potala Palace are the gilded burial stupas of former Dalai Lamas and meditation Cave of the 33rd great king of Tibet. 

At noon, the tour guide will bring you to a good restaurant to have lunch and have a rest. In the afternoon, we will go to visit Jokhang Temple in the center of the Lhasa old town. Jokhang Temple is one of the most sacred temples all over Tibet and it is always bustling with earnest local pilgrims since the early days. After that, you will take a walk around the Barkhor Street - one of the most devotional circuits as well as a crowded central market of Lhasa. Barkhor Street is a very ancient round street surrounding the Jokhang Temple and the locals are always proud of it. As a symbol of Lhasa, it‘s also a must-see place for visitors.

Stay overnight in Lhasa, 3★/4★

We will pass by Gampala pass (4794m) on the way from Lhasa to Shigatse and visit Yamdrok Lake. Covering 638km², Yamdrok Lake is one of the three largest sacred lakes in Tibet. The lake is surrounded by many snow-capped mountains and is fed by numerous small streams. 

Later we will pass and enjoy the Karola Glacier on the roadside; it is about 300m from the main highway with easy access on your way to Gyantse. Then visit the main monastery in Gyantse - Pelkor Chode Monastery. Pelkhor Choede in Gyantse town is located about 230km to the south of Lhasa and 100km to the east of Shigatse. The monastery is a short walk from the heart of the town.

Stay overnight in Shigatse, 3★/4★

In the morning, we will visit the home of Panchen Lama - Tashilunpo Monastery, which was founded by the 1st Dalai Lama in 1447. It is a historic and culturally important monastery in Shigatse. It's located on central hill of the city. The full name in Tibetan of the monastery means "all fortune and happiness gathered here" or "heap of glory". For the trip back to Lhasa in the later afternoon, we will provide you two solutions which will be decided by Great Tibet Tour.

Option A: Drive from Shigatse – Lhasa;

Option B: Train from Shigatse – Lhasa;

For Option B, the guide will accompany you to take a taxi to Shigatse Railway Station, Then take the train from Shigatse to Lhasa. Upon your arrival in Lhasa, we will arrange you to be dropped off at your hotel. The taxi & train fare is included in the cost.

Stay overnight in Lhasa, 3★/4★

Today your guide and driver will escort you to the airport or railway station for your next destination. Before your departure, we will appreciate if you can spend a few minutes to evaluate our services either by filling the feedback form or simply send us an email when you back home. Your whole trip officially ended.